This delicious Cajun garlic butter sauce recipe is a showstopping accoutrement that only takes a few minutes to make and could not be easier to make! This versatile recipe can be used at your next shrimp boil, drizzled over veggies, or as a steak sauce.
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This sauce is the combination of two recipes that I use all the time, my homemade Cajun seasoning and my easy garlic butter sauce with white wine. It is a year-round favorite that I can't get enough of! It is the perfect spicy garlic butter sauce for your next Cajun seafood boil.
I am a self-proclaimed sauce queen. But my readers seem to agree. This recipe has been shared over 100,000 times!!!
It was delicious! I've made this 3 times now and it's definitely a crowd pleaser.
-Niki, Raving Fan
📖Why My Recipe Works
In order to get a superior garlic flavor, we need to skip the garlic powder and the prechopped garlic. Instead, this recipe uses fresh garlic cloves. And a lot of them.
The key to this delicious sauce is the caramelization of the fresh garlic.
A rich sauce made with butter needs an appropriate amount of acid to cut through the delicious fat. I like to use fresh lemon juice because it provides a bright flavor.
And of course, using the right Cajun seasoning matters!
🧾Ingredient Notes
This easy Cajun butter sauce only requires a few simple ingredients. And with such a simple cooking technique, it is critical that they are of good quality. Let's start with butter!
- Unsalted Butter- Always use unsalted butter when baking or cooking from scratch. In this recipe, I recommend using European-style butter. In the EU, unsalted butter has to be at least 82% fat. While in the US, butter only contains 80% fat, and the rest is water. Unsalted butter also will have a higher fat content than salted butter. More fat equals more flavor! Whichever style you get, just make sure it is a high-quality butter.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves- This recipe calls for 4 cloves of finely minced garlic. Use medium to large cloves. And feel free to add additional minced garlic as desired. The garlic needs to be finely minced or you can use a garlic press or a microplane.
- Cajun Seasoning Mix- For this recipe, I use my homemade Cajun seasoning. But you can also use storebought, but with caution. One thing to note, my seasoning uses white pepper instead of black pepper. White pepper adds more heat and has a smoother finish.
- Lemon Juice- I use fresh lemon juice, but you can absolutely use bottled. Add a little lemon zest if you want a punchier flavor.
- Parsley- Adding fresh parsley gives the sauce a bit of green and a pop of brightness.
While this is a spicy sauce, you can feel free to jazz it up with a little extra sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
⏲️How to Make Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce
The best part of this recipe is how easy it is to make. Resist the urge to make this recipe in the microwave. I know that may seem like the easy way, but you will miss out on the sweetness of the sauteed garlic.
Carmelize the Garlic
A quick and gentle saute of the raw chopped garlic will sweeten the flavor of the sauce. No need to use olive oil. Instead, take one tablespoon from your stick of butter and add to a small saucepan (or saute pan).
Melt the butter over low heat. Once it begins to sizzle add the garlic. Stirring constantly, cook the garlic for a minute.
Deglaze
The garlic should turn light brown. Pour in the lemon juice, reduce the burner to low heat, and simmer for a minute.
Melt the Butter
Add the remaining butter, fresh parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Allow the butter to fully melt over low heat. Season to taste but rarely do I find it needs salt or pepper.
🥗How to Use Cajun Butter Sauce
This simple sauce is more than just melted butter and can add so much flavor to a wide array of dishes. Here are just a few ideas:
- Add it to your next seafood boil or seafood bake.
- I use this to top my Thanksgiving favorite Cajun Cornbread Stuffing.
- Drizzle over roasted zucchini, grilled sweet corn, roasted red potatoes, or fresh cooked green beans.
- Spoon over lobster tails or use as a dipping sauce for shrimp, snow crab legs, or crawfish.
- This sauce complements my blacked cod recipe and many other seafood recipes.
- Or swap out the garlic herb butter on my gluten-free garlic bread recipe. New Orleans garlic bread? Yes please!
- Use it to baste cast-iron seared steaks.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
Using unsalted European-style butter or American cultured butter will result in a creamier texture and better flavor.
🌡️Storage
The leftover Cajun sauce will keep for 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
My favorite way to store leftover sauce is in the freezer where it will keep for 2 to 3 months. I use small silicone ice trays to hold the sauce. Pop them out whenever you need a quick sauce.
I personally save the leftovers for brushing on hamburger buns before toasting. They make my favorite Wagyu beef burger and spicy chicken sandwiches just that much better!
Common Recipe Questions
Can I use Old Bay Seasoning instead of Cajun Seasoning?
While Old Bay has a delicious flavor, it is decidedly New England in flavor with a heavy celery salt forward component. Cajun seasonings, whether homemade or store-bought, have more spice and are intensely flavored with smoked paprika, dried herbs, and plenty of garlic and onion.
Should you cook the minced garlic for Cajun garlic butter sauce?
Yes, cooking the raw emphasizes the garlic flavor while sweetening it and reducing the harsh burn. This allows the paprika flavor to shine through.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning homemade or storebought
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley minced
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.1 stick butter, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the remaining butter, parsley, lemon juice, and cajun seasoning. Whisk to combine then cook for five minutes.1 stick butter, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- Mix all ingredients together. Note this recipe makes more than needed for the butter.3 Tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon dried basil, 1 Tablespoon onion powder
Video
Notes
- Leftover sauce will keep for 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Leftover Cajun seasoning will last for several months in an airtight container at room temperature.
Allison Smothers says
The best sauce ever? Yes, yes yes!
Niki says
It was delicious! I've made this 3 times now and it's definitely a crowd pleaser.
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the review!
Catina Henderson says
I absolutely LOVE ♥️ this recipe, Thank you for sharing
Laura says
OMG this probably the best thing I have ever made.
Jen Wooster says
Awww love this!
Patty says
This sauce is the best one yet. We had it yesterday. Wow!!! I could drink it. Thank you.
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the kind review!
Bernadette says
Can you use a substitute for the parsley?
Maui B. says
Thank you for putting the ingredient amounts in the instructions. lol,
It bugs me when I’m in the zone of making it and I have to scroll up and down to find the amounts.
Sonya Thomas says
To many ingredients for me
Jen Wooster says
To shorten things you can use storebought Cajun or Creole seasoning. Personally I think my spice mix is the best but hey, we all need a shortcut now and then. Then this butter sauce only has 5 ingredients!
Deborah says
Hi Jen....I'm tryna make a seafood boil, can you tell me how to make my sauce thick so that it's just "sticking" to my vegetables n meat?? I want sum kinda thick sauce, not thin.
Thx Hunni in advance for helping me with this.
Cameron says
Add heavy whipping cream
Afsana says
Yum!
Shana says
Amazing! Making the homemade seasoning next time. Made cajun shrimp and grits... Divine!
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the comment!
Anna says
Hello, I am not really a fan of parsley. Can I use thyme instead?
Jen Wooster says
Yes you can!
Mary Jo Violett says
Wow! I made this and added shrimp to the sauce at the end and it was amazing. Then grilled some bread to use for dipping and my familty loved it.
Toby says
Made this for the first time tonight. Wow!! So freaking good! Cooked up some zoodles & chicken in this sauce and even my husband enjoyed it. Making some tilapia later in the week that I believe will be bathed in this sauce as well. Thank you for sharing it!
Jen Wooster says
All of that sounds delicious! Glad you liked and try tossing roasted potatoes in it... heaven.